Kansas City, MO – We’ve been doing our digging in Kansas City and I don’t mean just digging out of the snow! While the Missouri Valley teams are making great runs in post season play, the question looms, “who will replace Creighton in the MVC?”
I’m told, by a reliable source, that TV market size has very little to do with the likelihood of a given school being considered. While Belmont University seems to be a favorite and it just so happens that they do play in a strong television market, several other schools are at least being considered.
Other than Belmont, no program can offset any of the Creighton loss in terms of notoriety and accomplishments on the court. Belmont doesn’t do that, but they are the best of possibilities that are being considered. As far as those TV markets, I’m told Illinois-Chicago (played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament) and Loyola/Chicago are at least in the mix. The dreadful Missouri-Kansas City program is also being considered.
Some of the thinking around both UMKC & the Chicago schools is that the league is sympathetic to the idea of moving the post-season tournament and the league offices to Kansas City or Chicago. They are not looking to move and love their relationships in St. Louis and the Scottrade Center, but “the grass is always greener….”
One early consideration was Oral Roberts University who seems to have dropped off the list. A school that has kind of stayed on the radar, but not close to the middle of the screen is Valparaiso University. There seems to be sentiment in the league office to get a private school to replace Creighton’s private school spot and balance in the MVC. I haven’t been told why that matters, but there is a sentiment that it does.
Some have thought the schools in the Dakotas would receive some consideration, but they would have to come in a package situation and that creates a ‘numbers’ problem for the league. They want to remain a 10 team conference.
So, who will it be? No one knows. Well maybe Commissioner Doug Elgin does, but he’s in Salt Lake City with the Wichita State Shockers and not here in KC.
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